Buying or selling a house in France can be complicated.Le Francophile has compiled a glossary of French real estate terms as part of our Buying a House in France guides.
Glossary of French Real Estate Terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
abonnement – standing charge
acompte – deposit, sum paid in advance
acte authentique – legal paper drawn up by a public officer empowered by law
acte sous seing privé – private agreement in writing with no witnesses
acte de vente – a conveyance or transfer of land
acquéreur – purchaser
acquérir – to buy
affaire – bargain
agence – agency
agence immobilière – qualified and regulated estate agent
agences immobilières à prix fixe – estate agents working on a fixed fee rather than comission
agents commerciaux -self-employed agent authorized by a qualified estate agent to act on his behalf
agent immobilier – real estate agent
alimentation – supply (water, electricity etc.)
aménager – to convert
aménagé – converted
ancien – old
à rénover – to renovate
à restaurer – to restore
arrondissement – administrative district of Paris
artisan carreleur – tiling expert
artisan maçon – builder
ascenseur – lift
atelier – workshop
attenant – contiguous
attestation d’acquisition – certificate that the property purchase was completed
attestation de propriété – proof of ownership of a property
attribution de juridiction – formal signing of a purchase contract
autorisation de prélèvement automatique – direct debit
B
bail – lease to tenant
bailleur – landlord
balcon – balcony
banque de consignation – the bank where the notary places the deposits
bâtiment – building
béton – concrete
bilan (de santé immobilier) – survey (house)
boiserie – woodwork
bon état – good condition
“bon pour achat” – following signature of contract (“good for acquisition”)
bord de mer – by the sea
bord de rivière – by the river
C
cadastre – town planning register recording details of land-holdings
campagne – country
carrelage – ceramic tiles
carte professionnelle – held by estate agents to carry out business
carte d’identité – identity card
caution – security deposit/guarantee
cave – cellar
cellier – store for wine and food
centre des impôts – tax office
certificat d’urbanisme – zoning certificate (equivalent to a local authority search)
cession – transfer of ownership or rights
chai – wine cellar
chambre – bedroom
charges comprises – service charges included
charpentier – carpenter
chantier – building site
chaudière – water heater
chauffage – heating
chauffage collectif – communal or shared heating
chauffe-eau – hot water tank
chaux – lime
chèque – cheque
cheminée – chimney
chêne – oak
clause particulière – special condition
clause pénale – penalty clause governing performance of an agreement
clause suspensive – conditional clause needed for the sale to reach completion
climatisation – air conditioning
cloison – partition
clôture – fence
colombage – half timbering
colombier – dovecote / pigeon house
comble – attic
commission comprise (C/C) – agency commission included
commission non comprise – agency commission not included
communauté – joint estate of a husband and wife
compromis de vente – contract for sale and purchase of land
comptant – cash purchase
compte séquestre – deposit in an escrow account pending certain conditions
compteur – meter for water, gas, electricity
conditions particulières – special conditions
conditions suspensives – conditional terms stated in the pre-sale agreement
conseiller fiscal – tax advisor
conservation des hypothèques – mortgage / land registry
constat d’huissier – factual statement by a bailiff which is irrefutable in court
constructible – land which is designated for building under local planning scheme
construire – to construct
contrat de réservation – the purchase contract used for purchase “on plan”
contrat préliminaire – preliminary contract
convention – agreement
copropriété – co-ownership
cour – courtyard or yard
couvert – covered
couloir – corridor
crédit immobilier – mortgage
crépi – rendering
cuisine – kitchen
cuisine équipée – fitted kitchen
cuisine meublée – fully equipped kitchen
D
dallage – paving
dalle – flag stone
date de livraison prévue – expected date of completion
débarras – box room
décennale – 10-year warranty provided by artisan
déclaration préalable – authorization required for works not subject to a building permit
délabré – dilapidated
déménagement – moving house
demeure – building, prestigious property
dépendance – outbuilding
dépôt de garantie – deposit paid when renting or buying a property
devis – bill estimate
disjoncteur – electric trip switch
dossier de diagnostic Technique (DDT)- mandatory survey carried out prior to sale
droit de passage – right of way
droit de préemption – pre-emptive right to acquire the property instead of purchaser
droit de succession / donation – inheritance / gift tax
droits d’enregistrement – stamp duty paid by the purchaser
E
éclairage – lighting
écurie – stable
émoluments – the scale of charges of the notary
enregistrement (droits d’) – registration of the title of ownership
entretien – maintenance
équipé – equipped
escalier – stair
espace – space
étage – storey
état des lieux – inventory of fixtures (and conditions) in beginning or end of a lease
évier – kitchen sink
expert foncier – professional to check on the state and value of the property
F
fer – iron
ferme – farm
finitions – finishings
fioul – heating oil
FNAIM – national association of estate agents
fonds de roulement – capital supplied by flat-owners to meet unexpected liabilities
fosse septique – septic tank
foyer – fireplace
frais de notaire – total to be paid to the notary on top of the sale price
G
géomètre – surveyor to certify the dimensions of the property
gouttière – gutter
grange – barn
grenier – attic
H
haie – hedge
hors taxe (HT) – not including sales tax
huissier – bailiff or process server used to record evidence during legal proceedings
hypothèque – mortgage
I
indivision – joint-ownership
inter horaire – time switch
interrupteur – switch
isolation – insulation
J
jardin – garden
jouissance – right of possession occurring with the transfer of ownership
K
L
lavabo – wash basin
lave-mains – hand basin
laverie – laundry
lingerie – washing room
location – rental
location – renting (tenancy)
logement – accommodation
loi Scrivener – protects borrowers from lenders and sellers on property purchases
lotissement – housing estate
“lu et approuvé” – phrase accompanying signature of contract “read and approved”
M
maçon – builder
mairie – town hall
malfaçons – poor workmanship
mandat de recherche – agreement giving power to estate agent to look for property
mandataires immobilier – self-employed sales agents engaged by a suitably accredited estate agent.
marchand de biens – property dealer
mazout – domestic heating oil
menuiserie – woodwork factory
meuble – furniture
moquette – carpet
mur – wall
N
neuf – new
néo-agences immobilières – fixed fee online estate agent
niveau – level
notaire – notary
O
occupant – occupant of the premises-tenant
occupant sans droit ni titre-squatter
offre d’achat /de vente – offer to buy or sell property which is not a binding contract
P
paiement comptant – cash payment
papier peint – wallpaper
parquet – wood floor
parties communes – common parts of buildings
parties privatives – parts of the building restricted to the private use of the owner
peinture – paint
pelouse – lawn
permis de construire – planning permission
pièce – room
pierre – stone
pilier – pillar
piscine – swimming pool
placard – cabinet
plafond – ceiling
plain-pied – single storey
plâtre – plaster
plomberie – plumbing
plus-value – capital gain realized on the sale of the property
portail – garden gate
poutre – wooden beam
prélèvement – direct debit
prêt immobilier – mortgage
prise – electric socket
propriétaire – owner
propriété – property
Q
R
raccord – connection
radiateur soufflant – fan heater
rénové – renovation
réservation – the deposit paid in a contract de réservation
réservation, contrat de – contract for the purchase of property
résiliation – cancellation of a contract
restauré – renovated
S
SAFER – national agricultural land agency with pre-emptive rights to buy land
salle de bain – bathroom
salon – living room
sécurité sociale – French national health system
séjour – living room
sol – ground
sous-sol – underground / basement
T
TTC – toutes taxes comprises – including sales tax
TVA – taxe sur la valeur ajoutée – value added tax
tantième – common areas of a copropriété owned with other apartment owners
tapis – carpet
taxe d’habitation – rate levied on the occupation of property
taxe foncière – local tax on the ownership of property
terrain – grounds
testament – a will
toit – roof
tontine – joint ownership
tout-à-l’égout – main drainage system
U
V
verger – orchard
vestibule – entrance hall
vice cachés – hidden defects that render the accommodation unsuitable for its residential use
vice dissimulé – defect concealed by the seller
vitre – glass
volet – shutter
W
X
Y
Z
